Page 106 of Just Like in the Movies

‘Okay, then,’ he said, leaning closer, his lips skimming hers. ‘Then we need to investigate and come up with a financial plan you can accept.’

‘Uh-huh,’ she murmured against his lips, feeling her happy hormones turn hot and achy. ‘But maybe we could do that tomorrow,’ she said. ‘I’ve got other things I want to investigate tonight.’

He chuckled, the sound low and deep and gloriously self-satisfied, but just as they sunk further into the bed, his lips finally connecting with hers, there was a sharp rap on the bedroom door.

They both jumped.

‘Ruby? Luke? Sorry to cock block you both but you need to come downstairs.’

‘Jace?’ Ruby felt her face ignite at her assistant manager’s shout.

What on earth? What time was it? She had assumed Jacie and the rest of the crew had packed up and gone home hours ago. The whole theatre had ended up witnessing her and Luke’s reunion, and it had been wonderful to have everyone there, but th

ey’d gone back to watch the rest of the movie, while she and Luke sneaked upstairs.

She scrambled out of bed as Luke let out a rueful chuckle and rolled on to his side, muttering: ‘I always knew that woman hates me.’ But it was said with wry affection.

Ruby grabbed her robe, slung it on, then opened the door. No way would Jace have interrupted them unless there was a real problem.

‘What is it, Jace? Is something wrong?’

‘Not wrong, exactly,’ Jace said, leaning round her and then sending Ruby a cheeky smirk at the sight of Luke lounging in her bed. ‘I just thought you should know, Helena Devlin arrived approximately half an hour ago. And now she’s asking to see you and Luke.’

‘What the hell! You have got to be kidding me?’ This from Luke, who suddenly wasn’t lounging anymore. ‘What the hell is my mom doing here?’

He didn’t sound pleased. But as Ruby slipped out of the room and closed the door behind her so he could get dressed, she couldn’t help the grin that spread over her face.

She was finally going to meet Helena Devlin. The stage legend … and Luke’s mum. ‘I can’t believe it,’ she said to Jace, not quite able to keep the awe out of her voice. ‘Helena Devlin’s in The Royale?’

Her throat got a little raw. Somehow she knew Matty would have been so pleased to have his sister here at last. The place he’d built out of the wreckage of his relationship with Rafael Falcone. And Helena. This was huge.

‘She’s not just here,’ Jace said, beaming back at her. ‘She’s been holding court since she arrived. Beryl and Brynn are practically genuflecting. Gerry has had several spontaneous orgasms and even gramps is charmed,’ she said. ‘But I couldn’t hold off coming to get you any longer. Sorry,’ she said, not looking all that sorry. ‘I hope I didn’t interrupt anything important.’ She all but chuckled.

‘You know perfectly well you did,’ Ruby said, grabbing a set of sweats from the airing cupboard and dropping the robe to tug them on. ‘But it’s nothing we can’t take a rain check on,’ she added, grinning back at Jacie.

‘I’ll bet,’ Jacie said, lifting her eyebrows.

Ruby checked her hair in the hall mirror. Balls. She looked as if she’d been electrocuted. But it would have to do. She didn’t have time to get it in any semblance of order. And she wanted to get down to greet Helena before Luke got dressed and started giving his mother a hard time.

Helena was Matty’s sister. And Matty had forgiven her, she knew he had. Whatever Luke’s issues were with his mother – and she didn’t doubt he had them, and there was a good reason for them, and they were probably deep and complex – she still wanted Matty’s sister to know she was welcome at The Royale.

Not least because Ruby was bursting with so much happiness right now, she wanted everyone to be happy.

But even so, as she made her way down the stairs to the foyer, the doubts set in. If only she could have met Helena after her stage show, when she had been wearing her green silk dress and had her hair properly tamed and her wits about her, instead of in shapeless sweats with bed hair, her mind still frazzled from shagging Helena’s son to within an inch of his life.

Awkward, much?

But as she stepped into the foyer, and Brynn and Errol and Beryl and Gerry all turned, to reveal the woman in their midst, Ruby’s heart rammed her throat.

Helena stood in the newly redecorated foyer, her dark red hair piled on top of her head in an elaborate chignon, her face one Ruby had seen so many times, but somehow different. Not regale, or reserved, but warm and soft and full of joy when a smile spread across it and she marched over the faded carpeting towards her.

‘My dear,’ she said, her clipped smoky voice bringing back a thousand beautiful movie memories for Ruby. ‘You must be Ruby, I’m so so overjoyed to meet you at last.’

She grasped Ruby’s fingers and tugged her into a hug, which felt so natural, the silly sting of tears returned. She became enveloped in the scent of patchouli perfume and the warmth of affection, and acceptance.

For goodness sake, get a grip.

Ruby sniffed as she hugged Helena back and the older woman whispered, for only her to hear: ‘I don’t know how you did it, my dear, but I will always be in your debt. Luke has needed someone like you his whole life, and I’m so glad he’s found you at last.’

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